New Zealand Customs Service Looking for Manager, Central & Southern Airports at Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand Full Time

Navigate to new heights and lead Customs excellence at the border.

Bring your senior leadership skillset to a role with purpose.

The New Zealand Customs Service | Te Mana Ārai o Aotearoa protects and promotes New Zealand through world class border management. Customs’ main priorities are protecting New Zealand’s borders and revenue while helping the legitimate movement of people, goods, and craft across the border.

We are seeking an outstanding people leader to be appointed to the role of Manager Central and Southern Airports. This role has responsibilities across varied and dynamic operational environments; it is fast-paced, and no two days are the same.

About this role | Mō tēnei tūranga mahi

You will be a key member of the Border Operations Group Leadership Team and will have responsibility for all passenger operations in the Central and Southern regions as well as cargo through Wellington port. The Central and Southern Airports role is strategic and forward-thinking, with the ability to lead change and operational improvements to ensure a high level of performance across the Border Operations Group.

You will engage, lead and motivate your staff, encouraging them to meet Service standards and delivery targets. You will work seamlessly with internal and external stakeholders, developing and maintaining strong and effective operational relationships to enable travel into and out of New Zealand.

You will provide assurance regarding the legitimacy of passengers and crew crossing the border, ensuring that compliance is hard to avoid and risks are effectively identified, managed and mitigated.

This role is based in Christchurch; however, you will have teams reporting to you from Hamilton, through to Queenstown.

Salary

The salary range for this role is $166,722 (85%) – $225,566 (115%). 100% or competent for the range is $196,144.

About you | Ko wai koe

You have extensive relevant operational leadership experience within a government or relevant commercial environment and can evidence strength in further developing and sharpening the focus of passenger operations and border protection strategies to identify and mitigate border risk while enabling legitimate travel. Strong people leadership skills and experience in people management will ensure that you are successful.

You will bring strong critical thinking skills to the role and contribute to key initiatives that support Customs strategic direction.

You have strong problem solving and decision-making capabilities and are able to manage complex situations and environments effectively. Having excellent interpersonal skills, using both verbal and non-verbal communication techniques, to ensure clarity of message and achieve desired results are essential.

You will need to provide demonstrated evidence of developing and maintaining excellent working relationships, networks and partnerships with key stakeholders both internally and externally, as this role has a strong focus on stakeholder management.

Requirements To Apply

You will need to obtain a national security clearance. In order to obtain this you need to be a New Zealand Citizen or New Zealand Permanent Resident who has resided continuously in New Zealand for the last 10 years and resides in NZ at time of application; OR a New Zealand Citizen or New Zealand Permanent Resident who has resided in New Zealand for the last 10 years and resides in NZ at time of application, but may have been absent from New Zealand for periods of six or more months within the past 10 years. You may be required to provide overseas police certificates for these periods spent outside of New Zealand.

You must have a background history that is verifiable and can be assessed as appropriate by the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service towards a recommendation of suitability for security clearance at a higher level.

Due to the nature of Customs work you must have a clear Police record. Successful applicants are also required to pass a medical assessment and drug test and must hold a full NZ Driver’s licence.

Working at Customs | Mahi ki te Mana Ārai o Aotearoa

Our people get on-the-job training, formal courses and leadership programmes, and the chance to move across diverse roles. We foster an inclusive and supportive team environment with vibrant social and cultural groups. We also support flexible working – talk to us about how we can help you achieve your flexible working goals, within our operational requirements. Our people get discounted health insurance, free on-site gyms (in some locations) and three days of service holidays in addition to four weeks of annual leave.

How to apply | Me pehea te whakauru

Please apply online. Please submit a cover letter which outlines your suitability and motivation for this role. You will be asked to outline your relevant skills and experience and a few competency based questions along with why you are interested in the role. The online application process takes a bit of time and requires you to provide examples of previous work – specific questions are asked in the online process. It’s best to set aside some time when you won’t be interrupted.

If shortlisted, you will be asked to complete online psychometric testing which includes a personality and leadership growth profile that will be used to aid your career development.

If you have any queries, please contact [email protected]

Applications close on Wednesday 12 March at 5pm.

Interviews for this role are anticipated to be held on Monday 31 March 2025.

New Zealand Customs Service | Te Mana Ārai o Aotearoa is a member of Diversity Works New Zealand and is committed to developing a diverse workforce and an inclusive workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities and welcome applications from everyone who can meet the requirements of the role. We also support flexible working arrangements.